Baptist News Global

Burleson lauded for helping professor fired by Southwestern for being female

MINNEAPOLIS (ABP) — One of Southern Baptists' most outspoken pastors has been recognized for his defense of women — although he does not personally feel women should serve as pastors. Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla.,…

Author John Grisham joins lineup of New Baptist Covenant speakers

ATLANTA (ABP) — Mega-author John Grisham, whose recent novels have revealed his deeply rooted Christian faith, will deliver a rare public speech at the New Baptist Covenant meeting in late January. Grisham, a member of University Baptist Church in Charlottesville,…

Former atheist shapes youth program through Baptist agency in Moldova

SAN ANTONIO (ABP) — Five weeks in North Carolina undid a lifetime of atheism for Tatiana Ceban. Nearly 14 years later, she is helping a Baptist agency craft a transitional living program for youth who have aged out of government-run…

Happy new year?

When does the New Year begin? For Christians observing the church calendar, the new year began Dec. 2, with the start of the Advent season. The liturgical year is an “or-derly way to look at the full scope of Christian…

Fair-trade items offer Christmas gifts with a conscience

NEW YORK (ABP)—What's the perfect revenge for the flannel-lined hot-water bottle Aunt Sharon gave you last year? Or the Michael Bolton CD from your brother-in-law? Maybe a toilet. Or an ox. A bag of seeds would work, for that matter….

Churches push Advent Conspiracy to teach real giving

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS)—The Christmas contradiction gives Pastor Rick McKinley a headache. Americans will spend about $475 billion this year on gifts, decorations and parties that many won't even remember next year. They will run themselves ragged—shopping, wrapping and celebrating. And…

For some, happy holidays means no gifts

AUSTIN, Texas (RNS)—Scrap the gift lists. Trash the wrapping paper. Blow off the mall. That's the mind-set of Americans who can't stomach exchanging holiday presents. They aren't grinches or scrooges. They just reject what they consider the wastefulness and stress…

Churches’ cooperation strengthen ministry in among students in China

MACAU, China — Eager hands reached for strips of paper. “This one goes next,” voices shouted as the group of Chinese students pieced the strips together to tell the story of Christ's birth. The problem: the story had been written…

EDITORIAL: Selecting your tree

The semi-trailer flatbed ahead of me was loaded with small, cut spruce trees. It didn't take much creativity to anticipate their destination as a Christmas tree lot in some distant city. Although reluctant to admit it to my friends at…

Third letter to Zachary

Dear Zachary: Ten years ago your grandfather wrote you a letter soon after your birth. You probably have never read that letter, but I trust your parents put it with some keepsakes and someday you may want to read it….

Out Loud

“Being president—that'll be a heck of a lot easier job than getting all the Baptists to agree on everything,” Huckabee, a Baptist minister, said at a Dec. 6 political event in Greensboro, N.C., Hendersonville (N.C.) Times-News..” Mike Huckabee The Republican…

Objections to lectionary

Your Dec. 6 article, “Lectionary helps some Baptist preachers feed their flocks a ‘balanced diet' ” generated a host of questions as I read it. I have preached for 60 years (off and on, lately) and have never used the…

Islamophobia is the next bogeyman

The Black Church cannot remain America’s emergency moral infrastructure

We are manna

Webinar explores religious context of America’s Founders